Verizon could pay to keep the iPhone away from Sprint and T-Mobile

The Verizon/iPhone rumors have been spinning for quite a while now and here's another one to throw into the mix. Verizon's not only looking to score the iPhone when it (supposedly) ends its exclusivity with AT&T next year, but also are looking to pay Apple to keep the phone out of their competitor's hands.

According to Kaufman Bros. analyst Shaw Wu, "We are hearing that [Verizon] does not want iPhone, the hottest selling smartphone, available on T-Mobile USA and/or Sprint and may be willing to pay for exclusivity to itself and AT&T." With the iPhone garnering 14.1 million shipments in the September quarter, it's gonna be apricey proposition to get Apple to keep the iPhone away from as many carriers as possible.